Next-Generation Pharmacist Winner Announced

PLAINSBORO, N.J., Oct. 28 /PRNewswire/ -- Ten pharmacy professionals were saluted on October 25, 2010, at the 2010 Next-Generation Pharmacist™ Awards. The event was created to honor the future of pharmacy and the professionals who are defining it through their innovative professional practice. Pharmacy Times and Parata partnered to recognize pharmacists from every sector of the practice who are paving the way for the industry's future.

Mark Aurit, RPh, owner of Gateway Health Mart Pharmacy in Bismarck, ND, was honored as the 2010 Next-Generation Pharmacist, the program's top honor. Aurit was honored for his uncompromising vision for the profession, reflected in his own pharmacy's experience and his tremendous dedication to advancing the pharmacy industry through mentoring and industry engagement.

The 2010 Next-Generation Pharmacist Awards also honored winners in 10 categories:

• Entrepreneur of the Year: Mark Aurit, RPh, owner of Gateway Health Mart Pharmacy, Bismarck, ND
• Green Pharmacist of the Year: Whit Moose Jr., BSPharm, Moose Pharmacy, Mount Pleasant, NC
• Civic Leader of the Year: Terry Spears, RPh, owner of Family Health Mart Pharmacy, Vernon, TX
• Technology Innovator of the Year: Tim Davis, PharmD, owner of Beaver Health Mart Pharmacy, Beaver, PA
• Patient Advocate of the Year:  Lisa Strucko, PharmD, RPh, Leesburg Pharmacy, Leesburg, VA
• Industry Advocate of the Year: Harry Lattanzio Jr., RPh, president of PRS Pharmacy Services, Latrobe, PA
• Technician of the Year: Deborah Boland, pharmacy lead technician, Kmart Pharmacy, Smyrna, TN
• Rising Star of the Year: Chris Williams, PharmD, pharmacy advocate, Manatee Your Choice Health Plan, Bradenton, FL
• Future Pharmacist (student pharmacist): Adrienne Giddens, University of North Carolina's Eshelman School of Pharmacy, Charlotte, NC
• Lifetime Achievement: Randy McDonough, PharmD, CGP, BCPS, owner of Towncrest Pharmacy, Iowa City, IA

Winners are profiled in the October 2010 issue of Pharmacy Times. Profiles of all the finalists can be found at www.PharmacyTimes.com. The event took place at The Franklin Institute in Philadelphia. "The awards offer a first-of-its-kind opportunity for pharmacists to gain much deserved recognition for outstanding contributions to the pharmacy profession as a whole," said Tighe Blazier, president of Pharmacy Times. "Congratulations to all of the outstanding category winners."

"We are already getting excited for next year's program," said Parata's Tom Rhoads. "Pharmacists around the country should begin thinking about how they or someone they know are helping pave the way for the industry's future. The call for entries will be available shortly for submission in early 2011."

For information about the Next-Generation Pharmacist program, please visit www.PharmacyTimes.com and www.nextgenerationpharmacist.org.

About Pharmacy Times and Parata

Pharmacy Times is a clinically based, monthly journal providing practical information pharmacists can use in their everyday practice. Pharmacy Times is published by Intellisphere, LLC, a leading provider of health care publishing, research, information, and education.

Durham, N.C.-based Parata Systems, LLC, was founded in 2001, and offers industry-leading technology that improves consumer safety and convenience at key touch points in the circle of pharmacy care: fill, serve and adhere. To learn more, call, click or visit Parata Systems, www.parata.com, [email protected], 1-888-PARATA1 (727-2821), and on Facebook and Twitter at "Parata Systems."

SOURCE Pharmacy Times